Kael's boots struck the fractured earth with a relentless rhythm. Each step was a promise, each swing of Ashrend a declaration. The titans surged forward, chains rattling like thunder, yet he moved with fluid precision, weaving through their strikes, his aura flaring red with each heartbeat.
Lyra darted alongside him, arrows streaking through the air, picking off Veilspawn that tried to flank them. Darric's shield met blows with a grinding clang, deflecting shards of violet energy that erupted from the titans' bodies. Isryn chanted in low tones, her glyphs shimmering like fireflies in the chaos, amplifying Kael's movements, making his strikes faster, sharper.
"Kael! We can't hold them forever!" Selene called, her voice rising above the cacophony of battle.
"I know!" Kael shouted back, eyes locked on the nearest titan. "Just—stay alive!"
He swung Ashrend in a wide arc, the blade slicing through one titan's iron arm, sparks dancing in its severed joints. The titan staggered, letting out a hollow wail that echoed across the battlefield. Another swing cleaved through its chest, and violet ichor hissed as it hit the ground.
Yet even as he fought, Kael could feel Kaelen's presence looming over the battlefield like a dark sun. The sorcerer's runes burned brighter with each fallen titan, feeding the Fold's power, warping the air around him into twisting shadows.
Kael paused briefly, scanning the horizon. Kaelen's staff moved with deliberate grace, drawing intricate patterns in the air, as though painting a symphony of destruction. He saw the energy coalesce—a massive, pulsing orb of violet and crimson.
"This is it," Kael muttered under his breath, gripping Ashrend tighter. "This is why I can't let him win."
He surged forward again, faster than thought, his aura igniting in a torrent of red flame. Each step left scorched footprints, each swing of Ashrend left arcs of fire and lightning that cleaved through both titans and Veilspawn alike. His companions followed, moving like extensions of his will, their coordinated attacks forming a storm around him.
Kaelen watched from the ridge, his violet flames licking the sky. The orb of energy above his staff pulsed rhythmically, the air around it vibrating with power.
"Impressive," he murmured, eyes narrowing as he observed Kael's advance. "The Brand burns brighter than I anticipated."
His hand rose, drawing a sigil in the air, and a wave of force rippled outward. Titans turned, Veilspawn screamed, yet Kael moved through it all, his blade carving a path straight toward Kaelen.
A slow, dark smile curved Kaelen's lips. "So be it. Let us see if the boy can endure the weight of his own fire."
The ground trembled as the two forces approached each other, Kael cutting through the first line of titans while Kaelen's power continued to swell. The battlefield was a storm of flames, shadows, and shattered earth.
And above it all, the two marks—the Brand and the Sovereign's curse—burned brighter, pulling them inevitably toward collision.